Jarlath Burns will be, amongst other things, definitely one of the most recognisable of modern GAA presidents. This is partly because of his playing career. This culminated in captaining Armagh to the 1989 Ulster title – a first in 17 years which makes him the highest-profile footballer in the presidency since his mentor Seán McCague at the turn of the century.
His son, Jarlath Óg is a current intercounty player and was nominated for an All Star last year.
In Burns’s acceptance speech he said that the office was “an immense responsibility, particularly for someone from the six counties,” an acknowledgement of the special challenges facing the GAA, north of the border. Now 55, he is the first president from those counties since Peter Quinn, 30 years ago.
Given his history, as an educator – principal of St Paul’s Bessbrook for the past decade – of engagement with cultural and outreach issues in Northern Ireland, the question he was asked about any potential border poll was inevitable. He had advocated the GAA supporting the proposal four years ago in the early stages of his first presidential candidacy.
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His response was typically measured but made clear that he wasn’t going to start tailoring his opinions to avoid the spotlight, however newsworthy.
“I have taken a back seat in all of those debates because I felt that if I am going to be representing the GAA – as I said in there – we have to do it very responsibly and in a way that takes consideration of the inclusive nature of the association.
“In the climate where there would be a border poll called, it would be incumbent on all civic organisations to take a position on it and it wouldn’t be shock therapy to anybody to hear that the GAA, who have always ignored partition very honourably, would want to see a united Ireland.
“That is my dream and it is not a subversive dream to have. It is a very valid perspective, particularly in the context of Brexit but we would have to do it very responsibly. If you look even at the last independence referendum in Scotland, both Celtic and Rangers, two big sporting organisations in that country took a position on independence.
“I don’t think it would be unreasonable of us to say that we would want to see our land united because even practically it doesn’t work, partition.”
Such a poll won’t take place until the British government’s secretary of state for Northern Ireland thinks that a vote for unity “is likely” and so may well not concern his presidency.
By convention the president-elect doesn’t have much to say during his year as uachtarán tofa once the election victory briefing is over so he may not be heard from for a while.
As is conventional for new presidents, he acknowledged his club and how he became rooted in the GAA.
Wearing his late father’s tie and a pioneer pin belonging to another departed mentor, Silverbridge’s Mickey Traynor, he fondly reminisced without sentimentality.
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“Dad lived until he was 91 and he had a wonderful life and he died with all of us around him and he was very happy to pass away. I have no regrets about the fact that he isn’t here because I know he’s in a better place and I think of many people – for example my best friend Declan McVerry who died after the two of us came back from watching Arsenal – I don’t know if you’re allowed to say that – at the Emirates.”
Echoing a view from the previous election, he was quick to pounce on the modern fascination with presidents “leaving legacies”.
“I am really going to be clear on this is, I do not want a legacy. Three years in an organisation like the GAA – forget about legacy.”
He did acknowledge that he would regard his term of office as “a failure” if he didn’t have some impact in this area, which he categorises as the challenge for the association’s amateurism.
“The very first job I had in CLG, Seán McCague gave me, implementing the first amateur status report. Peter Quinn brought it out in 1997 – the only change was that players could keep their endorsements. The game has moved on so much. Every county I went into they are telling me they are overwhelmed by the amount of money that they are having to spend.
“That is giving us a tremendous dividend because if you look at the high-performance culture that exists within our – particularly Division One and Two teams. You don’t want to be seen as a Luddite to be pulling that back but you have to remember we do have amateur status.”
